The Plan: Do a 1700 mile loop through NV with 5 riders in 7 days, exploring abandoned mines, ranches and history as we go. The tracks were made, the bikes were prepped and we were ready to head to NV for our 2012 Adventure. We picked early June this year hoping to beat the heat and ride in nice green scenery (it might be a gamble since the weather forecast is looking pretty iffy the closer we get to blast off time). There would be four riders leaving on the 1st and a 5th rider meeting up with us two days later out on the trail some where.

This year I had a special theme for this trip with an idea that started during our last summers ride in NV....What is is? Keep reading below.....

We were at the mini mart at 3:30am, trucks are filled and we roll towards NV. The last week has been nuts...tons of last minute prep. Andy's 530 lost a crank seal 2 days before we left, leaving him two days to transfer everything from his fully prepped 530 to his wife's 450 EXC so he could make the trip. A last minute rider (Mark) was added to the trip giving him a week to prep his bike....he had to order the desert tank, luggage, GPS etc and get it all set up in a very short time. He would also be leaving a day and a half later than us and would try and catch us somewhere out on the trail, he will watch our SPOT tracks with his iphone and try to intersect us some where on the trail.

At French Glen I check the bikes to make sure they are riding correctly....and find oil leaking from my counter sprocket! Dang! Oh well, I brought a spare seal so I'll change it out in Denio. I turn to Trever and say "Man, my counter sprocket is leaking" and he says "or your friends poured oil on your frame at the last gas stop" LOL. Ok...that was pretty good! At least I don't have to worry about changing the seal out now :lol3

My bike loaded up with the special cargo for the trip....it sticks way out on each side of the bike so I'll have to be careful not to catch it on sage brush along the trail. I think I may have just set a new luggage weight record on a 530 LOL.

Trever waiting at the fence crossing......with all the heavy gear plus the added concrete the bikes are handling like a humming bird with a bowling ball duct taped under one wing :lol3. Good thing we have radiator fans...they are getting a work out today!

And the Sign is planted and finished. :clap During last summers visit to the crash site (ride report: HERE) I started thinking about making a memorial plaque to place at the crash site. I really felt that the story of the planes crash as well as the names of the crewmen that lost their lives serving our country needed to be told. Visiting the crash site last year without this information made the experience feel incomplete. After returning home last summer I obtained the names of the crewmen that were on board that fateful night then Andy and I split the cost to have a laser engraved stainless steel plaque fabricated to place at the crash site. After receiving the plaque I fabricated a heavy stainless steel sign assy to mount the plaque on so it will last for years to come. One of the highlights of this trip for everyone involved was planting the memorial plaque.

What a stunning tribute! Can not believe that someone would even think of doing something quite as cool as this for a crash site. RIP Crewman.....

+1 on all who participated in this.

Amazing simply A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!

Throttlemeister

06-06-2012 08:24 PM

Good on you guys for doing that:clap:clap:clap

Hope to make a site visit one day.

AtcPDX

06-06-2012 08:44 PM

Wow badass!!!!!:clap

cycletlh

06-06-2012 08:58 PM

What a great start to a trip. Congratulations to all of you for doing this. If I ever make it there I will say that I know the guys that put the sign up.:clap:clap:clap

schaffer40

06-06-2012 09:00 PM

Pretty cool. Good for you guys.

HardWorkingDog

06-06-2012 09:07 PM

Thank you, Tom, and all your crew for such a fitting tribute to the crewmen. As I hurriedly read through to see what the plaque looked like I spotted the rivets right away..."ah, just like a riveted body panel..." You nailed it.

Comrade Art

06-06-2012 09:10 PM

That memorial plaque looks great :clap

Hodakaguy

06-06-2012 09:14 PM

Day 1...Continued from above.

A piece of a tire...it's amazing how well the desert preserves items like this.

After checking out the crash site we got back on the bikes and headed twords Bog Hot Springs to camp and soak....we've all been up since about 2;30am and had a long drive plus the ride, we are all ready to relax for the night.

Heading down the hill we see rain showers off in the distance, the weather has cooled down quite a bit since we first arrived at the crash site and the ride down is great.

I decide to try and frame the bike in a lightning strike picture...but the sky starts opening up and rain starts pouring down. Not wanting to get the camera wet I retreat to the tent for the night. It was a great day of riding today...can't wait till tomorrow!

Thanks for the plaque. Coming from someone who served for over 20 years it means alot when a group such as yours takes the time and effort to do something like that. I'm sure it means alot to their families as well. Job well done. Semper Fi!

Buck Nasty

06-06-2012 11:15 PM

Wow! You guys are amazing! I can't quite put into words how I feel about this. It's just flat-out cool! Great report. Great Pics. Great tribute. I truly hope that plaque will help keep that area sacred and preserved.

:clap

Everett49

06-07-2012 09:46 AM

Awesome report already!! Thanks for putting up the plaque for the crew. I had not heard of this crash before, but I will visit since I live in Northern CA. Thanks for alerting us to this, and great pics too!